Swimming in overwhelm without any water wings

Recently a friend asked me what I do when I feel stressed out or overwhelmed.  She knows I don't drink or engage in any substances that can sort of take you away... and all we ever really hear about people doing when they get overwhelmed is having a drink.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard it.

I need a glass of wine

I need a stiff drink

I think a drink is in order after today

From functional (and non functional) alcoholics to people who really just have a drink once in a while..it seems like everyone's "taking the edge off"!

So when my friend asked me that, I was

1. Flattered (she's very intelligent and having my personal advice called upon is quite nice)
2. Introspectively brainstormy...  I am currently overwhelmed and am not sure how to deal with it.

What I told her is that I like to take some personal time for me during those periods--to do what I want.  But my kid keeps being sick and I am so busy at work and I have to take personal time from work for the purpose of my sick kid which does not at all involve me doing what I want but involves me trying to give my sick kid attention whilst staying focused on the emails coming through on my computer.

I'm not going to have a drink.  I never have and I never will.

I probably need to meditate or something.

But for now, this is me....

My question for you, dear reader: If you do have a drink every so often to soften things up...what does it do for you?  And if you don't, what do YOU do to take the edge off?

Sometimes for me it works to imagine myself as I am above..buried under a pile of things...and then imagine myself rising above the pile so I can oversee it and take each thing one by one and dismantle it.  But right now I feel like I have a lack of time for dismantling much less actually doing anything on my list!  

I know it will disperse. That shiny sun will stop yelling at me and I will have a great weekend with my coming visitors. My son will get over whatever this illness is that he has and we'll pay the stupid doctor bills and the work stuff I'm planning will come and go.  I know that.

So I need to take the edge off in a natural way...  I'll let you know if I come up with anything.